This paper discusses the author's personal experiences in developing and implementing a problem-based college mathematics course for liberal arts majors. This project was initiated in response to the realization that most students are dependent on "patterning" learning algorithms and have no expectation that self-initiated thinking is a…

A trend toward the use of groups can be seen both at the workplace and in education. The growing presence of groups at work provides one motivation for groups in educational context, especially ESP, because students now need to acquire a higher form of literacy to participate in groups at work. Involved in this broader literacy are such skills as…

Discusses four major approaches to teaching about controversial issues frequently cited in educational literature: problem solving, public issues, decision making, and moral reasoning. Provides guidelines for structuring large-group discussions, small-group discussions, and debates within these approaches. Includes a list of instructional…

Demonstrates how the development of transferable skills can be promoted as a matter of policy in undergraduate geography programs and implemented throughout individual classes. Defines transferable skills as skills of a widely applicable nature independent of the disciplinary context. Presents two examples of transferable skill development in…

An integrated mathematics/science elementary methods course was developed as part of Connecticut's statewide systemic initiative. Considers: (1) What does integration mean? (2) What content should be taught? and (3) How should it be taught? Implementation team included an exemplary elementary teacher. Appendix presents a sample integrated lesson.…

Classroom techniques (collaboration, mentoring, emphasis on problem-solving) used in supplemental instruction (SI) for chemistry at Saint Xavier University (Illinois) are detailed, the role of SI leader and supervisor are examined, and a small-scale (n=219 students) study of student perceptions of the program is reported. (MSE)

Reports part of the results of the Design, Development, and Assessment in Mathematics Education Project that tested the booklet on descriptive statistics called "Data Visualization" in six experimental algebra classes in Whitnall, Wisconsin. Describes examples of problems presented, use of cooperative learning during instruction, and…

Described is an alternative first year algebra program developed to bridge the gap between the NCTM's Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and institutional demands of schools. Increased attention is given to graphing as a context for algebra, calculator use, solving "memorable problems," and incorporating geometry concepts, while…

Describes the urban-centered WalkAbout summer program, which involves hands-on service learning emphasizing the importance of students being authentically invested in their own learning. Program goals include increasing academic achievement, providing opportunities for community-based learning, developing a service ethic in youth, and improving…

In this paper, we suggest that case-based resources, which are used for assisting cognition during problem solving, can be structured around the work of narratives in social cultural psychology. Theories and other research methods have proposed structures within narratives and stories which may be useful to the design of case-based resources.…

Principals can easily validate the tension of opposites thinking. Their work is filled with paradoxical dilemmas and days in which the questions are complex and void of definitive answers. In an attempt to balance the often antithetical needs and expectations of the students, the faculty members, the community, and the district office, the…

In this article, the author describes the Violence Prevention Through Cooperative Learning (VPTCL) project. Developed in 1999 by the Hawai'i Friends of Civic and Law Related Education, this hands-on program aims to support at-risk secondary school students and help them learn problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. These skills are…

Problem-solving groups can become preoccupied with deficit and deviance, while overlooking potential and resources. This article describes methods for using problems as an entree into the development of strengths and solutions. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of this article is to present various techniques that will engage young children, ages 3-8, in learning science and mathematics. Children actively engage in acquiring basic science and mathematics concepts as they explore their environment. The methods presented are intended to meet the developmental levels of young learners as they…

Our department has redesigned its electrical engineering and computer engineering programs completely by adopting a learning methodology based on competence development, problem solving, and the realization of design projects. In this article, we show how this pedagogical approach has been successfully used for learning compiler design.